Founder of Peter Owen Publishers steps down as m.d

Peter Owen has stepped down as m.d. of his eponymous publishing house, with Nick Kent taking over the position.

Owen has also handed over the...

Peter Owen has stepped down as m.d. of his eponymous publishing house, with Nick Kent taking over the position.

Owen has also handed over the position of publishing director to Antonia Owen, but will remain chairman of the company.

Antonia Owen is Owen’s elder daughter, and previously held the role of editorial director, while Kent was sales and marketing director.

Much of the sales and marketing director role will now be performed by Andrew Wallace, assisted by Leila Sellers, Kent told The Bookseller.

Peter Owen Publishers was founded by Owen, who is now 88, in 1951. The company publishes both fiction and non-fiction.

In a letter announcing the changes, he said: “I find myself in my 89th year, and recently I have started to feel that the business of running a publishing house on a day-to-day basis is becoming a burden I can no longer shoulder with the energy and commitment of yore.”

He continued: “As chairman, I will retain oversight of the business, but I am confident I have made the right decision in stepping aside so that Nick and Antonia can use their well-proven skills to help Peter Owen Publishers thrive in an increasingly challenging trading environment.”

Owen was made an OBE for services to literature in the New Year’s Honours List in 2013.

He is currently working on his memoir which is due for publication next year.